Qi Zhenzhen, on the other hand, breathed steadily, as if she hadn't been running at all. Even the Zhang brothers were breathing a little heavily, though not as exaggeratedly as Qi Yi.
"When you run, don't think about keeping up with me. Instead, stabilize your breath and follow your own rhythm," Qi Zhenzhen said. "Don't think about anything else, just adjust your breathing with your steps."
Zhang Erniu understood what Qi Zhenzhen meant. When he practiced martial arts, he also had to adjust his breath with each punch to ensure maximum power. He had initially thought Qi Zhenzhen was just indulging Qi Yi, but now he saw she was serious. She had simply chosen a relatively simple method to help him master breath control.
Qi Yi felt ashamed. Among the four of them, he had performed the worst. He had even wanted to stop running earlier. Thinking of the words he had said to his sister – that he wasn't afraid of hardship or fatigue and would persevere – he felt utterly useless.
"Big sister, I..." Qi Yi couldn't finish his sentence.
Qi Zhenzhen bent down. "You're doing great. For two periods, you didn't stop once. Today was your first run, and after a few more times, you'll be like your sister. Then we'll increase the time. Once your body can adapt to prolonged running, we'll work on other things."
Long-distance running, weighted running, not only trained endurance but also strengthened physical strength during the run. Back then, with weights on her legs, she could easily run twenty kilometers. Without the weights, her speed more than doubled.
"Miss Qi, two periods is very easy for me. Look..." Zhang Erniu rubbed his hands, his face full of hope.
"You can run for half a period directly. Of course, if you can't manage it, you must stop promptly. You should know how to adjust your breath. Maintain a constant speed during the run; fluctuating speed is not advisable," Qi Zhenzhen said. "Tell me when you can run for a full hour continuously."
Zhang Erniu nodded excitedly. "Then I'll keep running. It's still early, and I won't be delayed from work after I finish."
Zhang Xiaoniu also looked eager, but Qi Zhenzhen stopped him. Although his physical condition was good, he needed to progress gradually.
"We're making noodles this morning. Brother Zhang, would you like to help?" Qi Zhenzhen asked with a smile.
Between cooking with Zhenzhen and running with his second brother, Zhang Xiaoniu naturally chose the former without hesitation. He could run anytime, but an opportunity to cook with her wasn't something that came around often.
After the three of them washed up briefly, Qi Zhenzhen scooped out four ladles of flour. The white flour exchanged from Doctor Mo's house was now reduced to a small amount left in the cloth bag, barely enough for one batch of steamed buns.
For hand-pulled noodles, the dough needed to be firm and kneaded thoroughly.
Pouring in an appropriate amount of water, Qi Zhenzhen stirred it with chopsticks. The water-to-flour ratio was just right.
"Brother Zhang, I'll trouble you with the next step. Knead the dough with all your might. You need to knead it until the basin, the dough, and your hands are all clean," Qi Zhenzhen said, pushing the basin towards Zhang Xiaoniu.
Kneading dough was very strenuous, and it wasn't her style to not utilize the readily available labor.
Zhang Xiaoniu rolled up his sleeves and began to wrestle with the dough with great spirit.
It took a full two periods of time before he barely met Qi Zhenzhen's standard of "basin clean, dough clean, hands clean." Zhang Xiaoniu was almost exhausted, his shoulders aching so much he could barely lift his arms. This was no less strenuous than running.
The kneaded dough needed to rest for a while. Qi Zhenzhen scooped out a piece of pickled radish, chopped it, and prepared some "tiger vegetable salad." Without chives, it wouldn't taste as good.
"Brother Zhang, do you have any chives at home? If so, could you cut some and bring them back?" Qi Zhenzhen asked Zhang Xiaoniu.
Hearing her soft voice, Zhang Xiaoniu's heart skipped a beat. Since Zhenzhen had asked, even if they didn't have any, he would have to find a way to get them.
Zhang Xiaoniu patted his chest. "Leave it to me."
With that, he rushed out like a gust of wind.
Qi Yi watched Qi Zhenzhen meticulously chop the pickled radish into fine, small cubes, a faint smile on her face. All his questions poured out at once. "Big sister, do you like Zhang Xiaoniu?"
This question made Qi Zhenzhen pause for a moment. She playfully chided Qi Yi, "Where did you get the idea that I like him?"
"Big sister's attitude towards him is very good."
"Big sister's attitude is good towards anyone who is kind to us. Besides, how old are you? What do you know about liking or not liking?" Qi Zhenzhen tapped Qi Yi's forehead. "You're clearly a child, but you always think of yourself as an adult."
Qi Yi tilted his head. "I can tell. Zhang Xiaoniu likes you."
Qi Zhenzhen was stunned. "You can tell?"
If even Qi Yi could tell, then perhaps others couldn't be kept in the dark? Zhang Erniu probably knew too, right? That's why he always kept Zhang Xiaoniu by his side? Was Zhang Erniu trying to set her up with Zhang Xiaoniu?
Was she being manipulated? Although there was no malice, Qi Zhenzhen still felt uncomfortable.
"Miss Qi, you don't need to worry. Once your courtyard wall is built, I will ask someone in town to find a long-term job for Xiaoniu," Zhang Erniu said anxiously. "Then, he won't be able to linger around Miss Qi. I only realized it yesterday. I guess Xiaoniu's feelings for you have developed in the last couple of days."
Qi Zhenzhen pondered for a moment. It was probably as Zhang Erniu said. In the original body's memories, she had no interaction with Zhang Xiaoniu.
Was it because she had defeated his second brother? Was he attracted by her heroic demeanor? If so, then Zhang Xiaoniu had a truly unique taste...
"Miss Qi, rest assured, I will do as I say," Zhang Erniu said eagerly, seeing Qi Zhenzhen's silence, thinking she didn't believe him.
Qi Zhenzhen felt somewhat relieved. Feelings were not something that could be controlled by humans. Zhang Xiaoniu's affection was pure. She didn't have to accept it, but she couldn't treat it with malice.
"I probably won't be staying here permanently," Qi Zhenzhen said seriously. Although they had no plans to leave Xinghua Village at the moment, their identities meant that many things might not be up to them to decide.
Zhang Erniu nodded solemnly. "I will make it clear to Xiaoniu."
Zhang Xiaoniu returned with a basket, packed tightly with chives.
If these chives were chopped for "tiger vegetable salad," they wouldn't be finished even in two months. Had he cut all the chives?
"Zhenzhen, do you think this is enough?" Zhang Xiaoniu asked solicitously. "If not, I'll get more."
"It's enough, it's enough," Qi Zhenzhen said, taking a pinch from the basket. "This is plenty."
As Qi Zhenzhen picked through the vegetables, she pondered how to eat the remaining chives. Since it was the first day of work, why not make chive pockets with these chives? Chives had a strong flavor and tasted delicious without much seasoning.